Streaker (unknown) Help to Refresh - Quality Parts List

[Thilae86]

Good evening All,

I picked up a well used Streaker. Unknown model at this time. Can Anyone help ID to refresh the kart?

I need wheel bearings, tires, and new rims. Inner hubs on the rims are wallowed out. I may also need a new rear axle. At speed, it’s not showing true straight, when you watch it spin. Could be the bearings, too.
Please see the attached for pictures. Thanks!

 

[Thilae86]

I’m in need of a quality supplier and possible spec sheet/exploded view of parts with identifying names/part numbers.

 

[Hellion]

Nice score.

Should use standard off-the-shelf-parts for the most part, tires, bearings, steering linkages, and fasteners, etc. The wheel hubs are unique and unobtanium. Looks like it needs very little.

Check your rear axle, it might have a differential. In the meantime, you can tap the wheel bearings out, measure ID and OD and buy new for example and read the tire sizes off the sidewalls and order new. Honestly I would ride the tires until all four are bald and have holes in them. The fronts do not need tread to steer and the rears have plenty of knobs (and life) left. Patch and seal the tires if they leak (or patch the tubes where applicable).

Take every suspect or iffy part a-part and inspect.

There are no parts lists available, at least that we can find in cyberspace.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

I agree with Hellion.
Even the engine and drive train look good.
Put gas in that sucker and a smile on your face.

Kart parts are pretty generic and not model specific.
If you have questions about something post pics and we can answer.

How bad is the wobble in the axle?
Set the rear up on blocks and run the engine. Then you can see what's out of alignment.

Other than that nice score. Have fun.

 

[Thepartsguy]

If he has a differential it’s 19mm not 1” he will need a streaker specific diff and rear hubs.

Get rims and fix his differential

Or 1” live axle swap.

 

[Hellion]

I’m in need of a quality supplier

Try BMI Karts. They seem to have the largest inventory if you wanted an all-in-one source. Also try OMB Warehouse and MFG Supply. The latter has a flat rate shipping charge for anything that's not a mini bike or go kart frame (bulky).

Otherwise, I buy onesy-twosey meaning a part from here and a part from there at the best possible prices. This hobby can get expensive if you don't do your due diligence and shop.

 

[panchothedog]

You got yourself a nice kart. Probably needs a lot less than you think it does. All advice given above is right on. Some new wheel bearings ( inexpensive ) and inner tubes if they won't hold air as is and start riding it.

 

[Thilae86]

Thank you, all, for the replies.

Tires are dry rotted and will not hold air for longer than a day. I suppose I could install tubes and be happy to wear out the existing tires.

For the rear axle - it is a live axle, or a what I call in the car world, a posi-trac. I can only tell this by the feeling it gives when turning.

The cart is for my 12 and 9 year olds. So, I would like to make sure that the wheels will not fall off at top speed. In a pinch, I bought some $7 5/8 bearings from an Ace Hardware for the front wheels. they were toast after a gas tank's day worth of riding. Will kart specific bearings be up to a longevity challenge? I have one hub that is wallowed out from the PO running failed bearings. Does the supplier offer new front spindles for the driver and passenger, or should I just weld in new 5/8" bolts to replace?

It has a predator motor with a torque convertor installed. It is eating the belt up, in my opinion.

Do any of the part suppliers offer a refresh kit for these karts, or is it up to us to do the research and order each individual part?

 

[Hellion]

It is likely that the bearings from Ace Hardware were light duty ”cart” bearings intended for dollies, hand trucks, little garden wagons and the like. You NEED the sealed precision bearings. They are somewhat generic and fit many applications but will usually have “precision” in the name.

Show us pics of the “business end” of the kart (the drive assembly and the chain, etc). If the pulley sheaves of the torque converter are rough, rusted or pitted it could be eating the belts. We have a Comet belt guy here who will berate you for using anything less than a genuine Comet belt.

If the tires are leaking air and they’re tubeless it could be that there’s rust between the wheel and the tire bead. Common problem and an easy remedy if you’re handy.

 

[Hellion]

*It is up to you to source the parts, for the most part there are no parts packages. You buy the parts as needed, not all at once in a package (only carburetor kits are like that), much like in the automotive world.

Show us the wallowed out wheel hub. We like pics here, saves typing.

 

[Thepartsguy]

If it has a live axle already it is most likely 1”

as said above you need to type “high speed wheel bearing“ into eBay/Amazon and with those high speed wheel bearings you will need an eBay go kart axle spacer kit.

You have to put the axle spacer kit inside of the rim cut to direct length by you.

 

[Thepartsguy]

These axle spacers go inside the rim between the bearings. If you do not buy these axle spacers and a set of high speed wheel bearings you simply will not fix your wheel slop.

 

[panchothedog]

I'm going to break rank with the 2 or 3 most recent post. Since you don't know exactly what you are looking for ( made very obvious by going to a hardware store for wheel bearings ) Don't go to E-bay, Don't go to Amazon. Get on the website of a bonafide go kart supply shop. OMB Warehouse, BMI Kart Supply,
Go Power Sports. They all will have EVERY part you need to refresh your kart.
And if you're not sure it its correct or not, PICK up the phone and call them before you place the order. They are in the business of selling parts made for older karts just like yours. You might save a dollar or two ( but you really don't need a lot of expensive stuff ) and you will get quality parts that will fit and work.

 

[Thilae86]

Again - blessed to get such speedy responses and direct information. Thank you, all.

I was of the mindset of having a phone session with a supplier. So, thank you for the suggestion. I believe it will solve all of my parts needs and questions.

Good information on the spacer, too. I come from the world of cars, so I would feel natural in that realm and never question such a simple task, but when installing the front tire/rim is there a need to install in this order - flat washer, wheel, flat washer, lock washer, nut? Or, do the flat washers keep the bearing from spinning properly on the spindle?

I'll get some better pictures of my setup to alleviate any more assumptions on possible needs.

Thanks, Fellas!

 

[Hellion]

Your kart may not have had axle spacers but I think they are a good idea, critical even, for long term bearing life. They're actually bearing spacers and are extremely important to take the side load off your bearings.

https://www.diygokarts.com/community/threads/gokart-wheel-bearings-and-pipe.47110/

I think Ken-Bar (and Carter Brothers, the manufacturer most similar to Ken-Bar) may not have used bearing spacers because they may have deemed them unnecessary or superfluous. Bearing spacers don't show up on the Carter Brothers exploded parts diagrams for instance. Both manufacturers used a separate hub that the two-piece rims bolted to.

I'm used to seeing bearing spacers on the two-piece wheels (Manco wheels, Azusa Tri-Stars, Azusalites, etc) that hold a bearing in each half. The bearing spacers may be more of a necessity on those wheels, I'm not sure.

As for what to put on the axle spindles and in what order, we can use the Manco illustration below as a guide. I think manufacturers kept it extremely simple so there was less parts to lose. You can use flat washers and lock washers but most manufacturers didn’t.

Moving right to left:
#40 Spacer, 5/8 ID x 1/4" thick
#22 Bearing
#24 Nut, 1/4-20
#26 Wheel Half
#25 Spanner
#26 Wheel Half
#23 Bolt, 1/4-20 x 3/4"
#22 Bearing
#21 Nut, 5/8-11 Toplock



The #40 spacer (a real axle spacer) may be a crucial part as it commonly prevents the bearing from fouling on the inner end of the #43 spindle that usually has a weld blob there and also helps prevent the tire rubbing on the spindle and the "C" bracket. This axle spacer may also take up room (especially if you're using narrow wheels) on the spindle so you don't run out of threads for the #21 Toplock Nut before it seats against the wheel bearing. The Toplock nut takes the place of a lock washer and is better IMO than a Nylock nut or lock washers. Just makes it neater.

 

[panchothedog]

As explained by Hellion, you don't want a lock washer and nut pressing against the bearing. The shops will have the correct nut to hold the front wheels on. I don't know if you have 2 piece wheels or not, but up front you can pretty much use whatever works. I'm not aware of any certain or prescribed sequence of washer, spacer, ect. As long as the wheel spins freely. Have you ever packed front wheel bearings on your car? It's sort of the same thing. You just have a lock nut instead of a castle nut and cotter pin.